


What Brings Us Together

by tappity_tap



Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Fantasizing, Love, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-20
Updated: 2017-05-20
Packaged: 2018-11-03 01:19:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10956711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tappity_tap/pseuds/tappity_tap
Summary: When Rukia and Renji suddenly drop in one night to announce they’ve gotten married, Ichigo is forced to confront the unexpected feelings that arise from the shocking news…including one he’s been denying all along. Set right after ch 1 of the “Ceremony” section in “WE DO knot ALWAYS LOVE YOU”.(Warnings: Smoking, suggestive sexual content)





	What Brings Us Together

_Married._

The sharp _click_ of the lock sliding into place barely registered.

_We’re married._

Sound bites from the conversation played over and over like a broken record in his mind as he shuffled back into the house.

“ _…ah, see? Toldja he’s still up._ ”

 _“Renji…? Rukia…? The hell you guys doing here?! It’s almost midnight!_ ”

His feet dragged and felt like they were made of lead every time he lifted a leg to mount each step. Going up the stairs took twice as long as usual.

“ _We’re sorry for the short notice, Ichigo, but this was too important to wait._ ”

“ _Lemme guess…you got a promotion? No…you were kicked out of Soul Society. Ah, wait, I got it…you secretly eloped and you’re on the run cause Byakuya found out._ ”

“… _hey that’s impressive, he’s actually closer’n Inoue ‘an ya didn’t even hafta give ‘im a hint._ ”

“ _That’s not close at all, Renji! Nii-sama knew AND approved!_ ”

His bedroom was in sight now but it still felt miles away.

 _“…wait….no way……_ ”

“ _Well, actually…yeah. Me ‘an Rukia completed our nyuseki today. We’re married.”_

 _“The wedding is in two weeks. We’d be honored if you and the others were present for it._ ”

He didn’t bother turning on the light after he closed the door. There was enough illumination from the streetlamp coming through the window (even with the curtains mostly drawn) and that’s how he was able to walk straight to his bed and flop down on it. And then he simply lay there and stared at the ceiling. Sometimes he found if he stared hard enough in the dark, he could _just_ make out the shape of the lamp mounted above him.

“ _So…they got married, huh?_ ” he asked it. He didn’t know why…it wasn’t like it could respond. But saying things aloud occasionally gave him the kick-start he needed to sort through his thoughts.

Honestly when it came down to it, the _notion_ of Renji and Rukia’s relationship turning romantic at some point wasn’t that surprising, especially where Renji was concerned. Two confrontations with him were all Ichigo needed to realize he was head over heels in love with her. It really wasn’t that hard to notice once all the tough talk and bravado were stripped away; The guy basically wore his heart on his sleeve.

Rukia, on the other hand…now she was a hell of a lot harder to figure out. Sure, there were a few times she’d talked about Renji and the history they shared, but she never once actually _specified_ what the nature of their relationship was. That was probably one of those emotional vulnerabilities she was reluctant to discuss with other people, so he was never entirely sure if Rukia’s association with Renji went beyond close friendship. Not until Renji thanked him for bringing them “back to where they once were,” and Ichigo finally got the sense what they shared between them was something not entirely platonic and definitely _not_ one-sided.

Even knowing that, it was still hard to say when they’d gotten serious about each other since number one, they never told him (until that night, obviously) and number two, they never really acted like a couple in public. But really, when taking into account some of the people they associated with, he couldn’t exactly blame them for wanting to keep their private life just that. So suddenly springing it on him that they were legally married and the formal ceremony would take place in two weeks was more like pulling a light sucker punch than dropping an entire bombshell.

Although, looking back on it, he probably could’ve come up with a better first response than squinting at them and scoffing.

Come to think of it…Ichigo still had no idea why he reacted like that. Smiling and offering congratulations, like any normal person would do, was apparently not a thing his instincts had ever heard of. At least he had the _voluntary_ sense to do that. Eventually. But not before fumbling through a hasty apology to his bewildered (not to mention, slightly offended) friends.

Still wallowing in his thoughts, he groped around on top of the comforter for his pajamas and after a minute only came up with the bottoms. Whatever. Right now, he was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to get to bed as quickly as possible. Taking off his jeans in the dark fared simple enough, it was figuring out which side of the flannel pants was front that gave him a bit of trouble. But again, too tired to care. So what if he went to sleep wearing backwards pants? No one was going to see him anyways. He yanked them on and burrowed under the covers, feeling just as sullen as before.  

Outside, two distinct laughs suddenly echoed through the alleyway. Great. Another thing to keep him awake tonight. Well, at least someone in the vicinity was having a good time. Ichigo hooked his finger under the curtain and lifted it slightly, just enough to see directly in front of the house. The late-night revelers were a little off to the right so he had to shuffle around and angle himself in the corner of the window to actually see them properly. It took a minute but when he realized who they were, he almost dropped the curtain in surprise.

Okay, he’d have to scratch that “never really acted like a couple in public” point because he was witnessing it right now with his own two eyes and he had to admit, it was actually kind of sweet.

Guided by the glow of the streetlamp, Rukia was ever so daintily traversing the low wall surrounding the hedges like a tightrope walker while Renji strolled along on the ground at her side, acting as spotter and escort. With this arrangement, she was actually a head taller than him for once, though if this bothered him at all he was doing a fantastic job of hiding it. Their faces weren’t very clear due to distance and time of night but they both seemed in equally high spirits. And relaxed. More relaxed than he’d ever seen them before. Also, was it his imagination or did Renji just take something out of his mouth and exhale a small puff of smoke? Ah, right…Rukia mentioned once that he liked to have an occasional cigarette while in a Gigai and by the tone of her voice, it sounded like she didn’t mind at all. That was probably why they hadn’t gone back to Soul Society just yet.

They stopped when they reached the end of the wall so Renji could clamp his cigarette between his lips, then let go and turned back in perfect sync, Rukia’s long layered skirt fluttering out around her legs and settling just as her hand landed in Renji’s. Unfortunately, the first step she took forward from there wasn’t very stable (probably due to her watching Renji instead of where she was going) and she almost took a tumble into the bushes. Regaining her balance didn’t take too long though, not when Renji held tight the entire time. In the moment after the near misfortune they stood perfectly still, hand in hand and face to face, hair and clothes swaying gently in a freshly picked-up breeze.

The cigarette was suddenly flicked to the ground where it glowed bright orange for a few seconds before going out completely under the heel of Renji’s boot. Then Rukia tugged her muffler away from her face and leaned forward with her arms wound around Renji’s neck and his hands moved to her waist aaand there was no mistaking it now; They were kissing. Not a quick little peck on the lips either, nope, this was full-on TV romance drama level _kissing_. After some time Renji even lifted her up off the wall and held her tightly in his arms, the two of them still going at it without a care in the world.

At that point, Ichigo figured his uninvited gaze had overstayed its welcome. He let the curtain fall back into place so the newlyweds could continue their moonlight rendezvous sans optical intrusion. Well…good for them. They deserved to be happy together, he knew that. Then why was he feeling so down all of a sudden? Like some irrational little voice in his head was telling him it wasn’t _fair_ for them to act content and in love right in front of him? It was almost as if he was…

Ichigo froze. No, that was absurd. She may have dramatically changed his life for the better, but he never saw Rukia as anything other than his most trusted ally and mentor figure. And Renji? Not his type. At all. But even though he was racking his brain for another word to describe this emotion seeping into him like a stain, only one kept coming up.

_Jealousy._

“Ridiculous. I’m _not_ jealous.” He rolled back to his initial position and sighed at the ceiling in exasperation. Just as before, the lamp up there refused to comment. That irrational little voice down in his head, however, was only _more_ than happy to offer its input.

_Is it so ridiculous?_

“Of course it is.”

_Are you sure? Maybe you ARE being a little resentful._

“Why the hell would I be resentful?”

_Because they’re reminding you of something you want._

“I don’t want anything.”

_Oh, but you do. And you want it desperately._

“No. I don’t.”

_Denying it won’t change how you feel about her._

Her…just like that, the dark in his room wasn’t so dark anymore: A smile bright with laughter…golden brown eyes, shining like the sun…a glimmer of blue riding flowing waves of auburn…

Giving a scoff, Ichigo flung his forearms over his eyes to block out the images. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

_You can lie all you like, Ichigo, but we both know the truth._

Harder and harder he pressed, until brightly colored spots danced across his vision. “ _I am NOT in love with her_ ,” he insisted, so quiet and weak there was no possible way anyone who heard would have accepted this as the truth. Even his own ears found it hard to believe the words coming out of his mouth.

He eased the pressure and watched as every last spot slowly faded away, waiting for a snarky reply. But there was nothing more from the voice, only the weight of heavy silence and pitch black crushing down on him. And instead of abstract splotches, it was forming a new set of images before his eyes.

This time, he was down on the pavement under the streetlamp, watching Renji take a drag of his cigarette while Rukia hopped up onto the wall next to him. He saw Renji smile and stretch out his hand to Rukia in an unusually gentleman-like fashion. He watched Rukia take it, blushing, and allow Renji to guide her as she sashayed along the narrow wall. And then it wasn’t Renji anymore. _He_ was Renji. Or rather, Renji (along with his cigarette) had vanished and Ichigo was somehow tagged in to replace him.

But he’d barely taken one step before Rukia’s small fingers lengthened within his grasp, her appearance faded and dissolved away until he was looking into an entirely new face. Different, yet it was just as familiar and warm as the hand now clinging tightly to his.  

“Promise you’ll catch me if I slip?” Those curious amber eyes peered down at him.

Ichigo smiled softly and gave the girl’s hand a quick squeeze. “I won’t let you fall,” he vowed.

Merely four steps later, her ankle buckled and she keeled dangerously toward him with a startled squeak. But as promised, his honed reflexes and steady arms were her saving grace.

Safely secured in his embrace, she laughed sheepishly. “Heh heh…sorry…I wasn’t paying attention…” In the light her smile looked so beautiful like that, framed by long locks of hair stirring in the wind.

“Hey…it’s fine.” Gently, he slid her down his front until her feet skimmed the ground. She landed with a soft _thump_. “I’m here for you.”

The way she lowered her lashes and blushed made his stomach flutter pleasantly. “ _I know_ ,” she whispered. His heart thrummed under the button she was toying with on his sweater. “Um…can I kiss you, Ichigo?”

If he were a teakettle, he would’ve been whistling a happy tune by now. Laughing, he brushed her bangs aside and leaned forward to meet her. “You don’t need to ask, you know…”

The kiss tasted just like her…so sweet, so _pure_. Like honey, or spring right after a light rainfall. Yes, it sounded stupid when he thought it but that was really the only way he could describe it. A dizzying happiness bubbled up inside with every sigh she made, and he pulled her into him until he could feel every soft curve mold flush to his body. Round, plush curves that gave easily in his hands and he relished in the little gasps she made with each firm squeeze. But soon, it wasn’t enough…he needed _more_.

When her back bumped into the glass doors, she giggled excitedly. And when he dropped to his knees and fumbled clumsily under her dress, she eagerly helped him by gathering up the hem and lifting it out of the way so he could slide her tights and panties down her legs. After that, he lost himself completely in everything she had to offer: Her intoxicating flavor on his tongue, her flushed smooth skin under his fingers, the way she exhaled when she whimpered his name, high and breathless.

“ _Ichigo…ahhhh…Ichigo…_ ”

He’d never done this to a girl before but Ichigo figured he was probably doing _something_ right judging from the secondhand tremors passing through him and the set of fingernails digging painfully into his scalp. By his hand (well, technically his _mouth_ ) she was rapidly coming undone and it didn’t take long before the end was in sight.

“ _I-Ichigo…ohhh, I-I think I’m…_ ”

Ichigo pulled out for one last gulp of air and murmured only a single word as he dove back in for the finale push:

“… _Orihime…_ ”

Suddenly, a surge of adrenaline rushed through him. Ichigo opened his eyes and straightened up with a start…not from hunched over on his knees in front of the clinic, but from lying flat on his bed, in his bedroom. Outside, a chorus of sparse chirps heralded the first yawning sunbeams as they stretched through the thin curtain and half-heartedly cast his room in a faint light.

Morning. So it was all a dream.

Now he just needed to wait for his body to catch up to his brain but that wasn’t proving an easy task. Taking in deep measured breaths did absolutely nothing to calm his racing heart. The t-shirt he’d fallen asleep in was damp with sweat and when he looked down at himself he saw he wasn’t the only one waking up nice and early. Fantastic. What a wonderful start to the day this was turning out to be. And all thanks to his subconscious’ stupid imagined scenario about making moves on Orihime.

The second surge hit and his stomach heaved violently. With the last remaining dregs of erotic ecstasy completely burned off, exhilaration quickly gave way to horror. Dismayed, Ichigo curled in on himself.

_Damn this…I’m nothing but a selfish brute._

He felt numb and sick with guilt. How could he think about Orih-about _Inoue_ in such a disgusting manner? Inoue…his _friend_. Who’d always been there for him when he needed her, who trusted him with her _life_. Only the foulest of perverts would have such lecherous thoughts about someone who’d been nothing less than a faithful companion to him. What would she think of him if she knew he’d gotten completely hot and bothered from a fantasy about kissing her and…and holy shit, _he fantasized about putting his mouth on Inoue_. It was nothing short of reprehensible.

Worst of all? While Ichigo knew it was wrong, he still wanted so very badly for it to be real. He wanted to be with someone who was kind, brave, compassionate, and beautiful. He wanted to walk hand in hand with her, laugh with her, protect her, fight by her side, and _god yes_ , even kiss her and touch her in ways that made her feel incredible. Because that someone was the most wonderful person he’d ever met and he wanted her to know it every waking minute for the rest of her life.

That someone was Inoue Orihime.

Ichigo hung his head in shame. No, there was no denying it anymore…he was utterly and hopelessly in love with her. What he witnessed last night outside his window, the happiness between two newlyweds who were so in love and so ready to spend the rest of their lives together? That was _exactly_ what he desired with Inoue. And it pained him to the depths of his soul that this would never happen. He knew he couldn’t be with her; Inoue didn’t see him in that way and she certainly didn’t deserve to have any unsolicited confessions or advances sprung on her out of nowhere.

So then he did the only thing he could think to do in this position: Lay a hand over his forehead and give a weak laugh. And another. And laugh pathetically some more. Because _fuck everything_.

When he couldn’t milk ironic amusement from his pitiful situation any longer, Ichigo collapsed back onto his bed with a heavy groan and an abrupt realization that from the depths of his emotional turmoil had sprung a newfound respect for a certain idiot redhead.

Because how the hell someone could feel like this about a woman for _50 years_ without losing it, he had absolutely _no_ idea.

**Author's Note:**

> It took me a little longer to get a good enough grasp on IchiHime to feel comfortable writing it like this. But I got so many requests after FBlWY that I couldn’t shake it off and while writing a series of short stories several ended up focusing on them. I was considering illustrating this but since it turned out more as a study on Ichigo’s thoughts than anything else nothing felt quite right.
> 
> The conversation Ichigo has with himself is supposed to be like the conversations he had between himself and his Hollow powers…except here they aren’t trying to mind-murder him. They’re just being that annoying friend who won’t leave you alone until you admit you like someone. lol
> 
> Yes the title is playing on a line from the film “The Princess Bride” and that a marriage is EXACTLY what it took to get the ball rolling and finally bring Ichigo and Orihime together romantically.
> 
> TUMBLR LINK: http://tappity-tap.tumblr.com/post/160829617805/ichihime-what-brings-us-together


End file.
